How to Overcome Push-Back in Math Education

How to Overcome Push-Back in Math Education

From Making Math Moments That Matter by Kyle Pearce & Jon Orr

April 23, 2026 · 27 min · Episode 470

About this episode

The episode discusses the nature of resistance in math education and how to rethink it as an experience rather than a characteristic.

In math classrooms, there’s something that shows up again and again: resistance. It can come from students, from teachers, and sometimes even from the school system itself. And over time, it can start to feel like your job is to constantly push against it—trying to convince, redirect, and move people forward. But what if we’ve been thinking about resistance all wrong? What if it’s not something people are, but something they’re experiencing in the moment? Because when students push back or te...

People in this episode

Hosts: Kyle Pearce, Jon Orr

Topics covered

  • math education
  • resistance
  • student engagement
  • teacher challenges
  • school system

Keywords

  • math classrooms
  • resistance
  • students
  • teachers
  • school system
  • push-back
  • education

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